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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172774">three times.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce'>pyroallerdyce</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>(not at all spooky) skywalkers series [october writing challenge 2020] [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Autumn, Central Park, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friendship, New York City, Non-Consensual Hugging, One Shot Collection, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Relationship(s), Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt, Walking, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, october writing challenge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:47:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben and Rey were walking through Central Park on a Sunday morning, hands clasped together, and Ben had never been at such peace.  Rey was amazing, utterly, spectacularly amazing, and he was quickly becoming addicted to spending time in her presence.  It was terrifying, especially since they still barely knew each other.  </p><p>They’d only had dinner together three times.</p><p>or:  Ben's walking through Central Park with Rey, they're growing closer, and Hux shows up, which annoys Ben a lot.</p><p>(these really will make little sense if you don't read the whole series.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>(not at all spooky) skywalkers series [october writing challenge 2020] [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947904</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>October Writing Challenge - 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>three times.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>attempt at breaking my writer's block day 24.  I want to scream.</p><p>you know, for as planned out as I had all of this, it sure went off the rails really quickly in every section.  I don't even know.  </p><p>and as always, if you like what you read and you want to see more, please let me know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that I know that I'm not writing into a void. enjoy.</p><p>october 24: "Just how stupid do you think I am?"</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>2017</b>
</p><p>Ben and Rey were walking through Central Park on a Sunday morning, hands clasped together, and Ben had never been at such peace.  Rey was amazing, utterly, spectacularly amazing, and he was quickly becoming addicted to spending time in her presence.  It was terrifying, especially since they still barely knew each other.  </p><p>They’d only had dinner together three times.</p><p>“Where did you go to school?” Rey asked as they approached the lake.  “I haven’t asked you that yet.”</p><p>“I went to Fordham at first and then Columbia for law school,” Ben said.  “You?”</p><p>“St. John’s,” Rey replied.  “I really should have dropped out given how expensive it was for a completely broke girl.  I’m going to be paying off those student loans for the rest of my life, probably.”</p><p>Ben bit his tongue before he offered to pay them off.  That was not appropriate at this stage of a relationship.  It probably wouldn’t be appropriate until they were married.</p><p>Married?  </p><p>He needed to stop that train of thought immediately.  Three times.  They’d only had dinner three times.</p><p>“What degree did you get?” he said instead.</p><p>“I have a Bachelors in accountancy,” Rey responded.  “I know it’s not the most glamorous of degrees but I’m able to do everything necessary for the financial stuff for the store because of it.”</p><p>“I see,” Ben murmured.  “That is something I wasn’t expecting.”</p><p>“What were you expecting?”</p><p>“Something a bit more simple than that,” Ben said without thinking, and he closed his eyes when he realized what he said.</p><p>“A bit more simple than accountancy?” Rey asked, her voice hard as she stopped walking.  “Just how stupid do you think I am?”</p><p>Ben sighed and turned to her.  “I don’t think you are stupid.  I am the one who is stupid because I said that absurd thing that I did not mean without thinking.  Accountancy is a big deal.  You’ve got to memorize tax laws, for fuck’s sake.  What I said was horribly wrong.”</p><p>Rey stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.  “This is the sort of stuff you do to fuck up relationships, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Kinda?” Ben said.  “I mean, I told you I am abysmal at this.  I say stupid shit all the time until I say the thing that puts it over the edge and then it’s over.  I already apologized for when that happens with you but I’ll do it again.  I’m sorry.”</p><p>Rey just shook her head and took Ben’s hand again.  “Come on.”</p><p>Ben took a deep breath as they resumed their walk.  “Did you meet Finn and Rose while you were in college?” he asked, trying to resume their conversation without him saying something else stupid.</p><p>“Rose, yes.  Finn, no.  I became friends with Finn when I worked at a corner store while I was still a high school student.  When I turned eighteen and was free from foster care, I moved in with him and pretty much stayed there for six years.  I only moved out last year when Rose moved in with him so they could be alone.”</p><p>“So Finn and Rose are together?”</p><p>“Yes,” Rey said.  “They’re great, really.  I’ll have to introduce you to them properly.  Finn will take a little getting used to because he’s like a protective older brother and he’ll be suspicious of you at the start, but I think you’ll really like them.”</p><p>“I can’t wait to properly meet them then,” Ben said, taking a deep breath.  “As for my friends, I really only have one close friend, and that’s Poe.  He will probably be really obnoxious at first.  He’s been obsessed with finding me a new girlfriend ever since my last relationship ended.  I think his wife will rein him in pretty quick, but you never know with him.”</p><p>“So Poe is married then?”</p><p>“Yeah, his wife Zorii owns the café I always go to.”</p><p>“Are you going to take me there?” Rey asked.  “Because I don’t remember you introducing me to a woman named Zorii.  Phasma, but not Zorii.”</p><p>“I was thinking that we could go there for lunch tomorrow, actually,” Ben said even though he hadn’t been.  “Poe will almost certainly be there and then I can introduce you to them both.”</p><p>“That sounds great,” Rey said.  “So if Poe is your only close friend, then who is Phasma?”</p><p>“Phasma is a girl I went to high school with that was sort of around my friends a lot,” Ben explained.  “Then I graduated after the first semester of my senior year instead of at the end and lost contact with most of them.  She was one of the ones that I stayed in touch with, and she’s pretty much the only one that I didn’t lose contact with after college.”</p><p>“So who else did you stay in contact with?” Rey asked, and then Ben stopped walking abruptly.  “Ben?”</p><p>“I really need to kiss you,” he blurted out before covering his face with his hands.  “Fuck, why do I do this?”</p><p>Rey laughed and reached up, pulling his hands away from his face with a smile.  “You are adorable, you know that?”</p><p>“No, I’m a fucking moron,” Ben said, shaking his head.  “I’m sorry.  You deserve someone so much better than me.  I deserve to be alone.  It’s just the way that my life goes.”</p><p>“Ben, shut up and kiss me,” Rey said, caressing the side of his face.</p><p>Ben just stood there, however, and after a moment, Rey rolled her eyes and curled her hand around the back of his neck.  She pulled him to her and pressed their lips together, and after a moment of just standing there, Ben finally reacted.  His arms slid around Rey’s waist and held her closer, deepening the kiss when Rey gave him an opening to, and he kissed her until he was breathless.</p><p>He pulled back and sucked in a few breaths before smiling at Rey.  “That was really nice.”</p><p>“Yes, it was,” Rey said, smiling back.  “Next time, just kiss me, okay?  It’s totally fine.”</p><p>Ben groaned.  “I completely fucked this up.”</p><p>“No, you didn’t,” Rey said, shaking her head.  “Things are fine.”</p><p>Ben went to speak but someone’s shout interrupted him.  “Solo!”</p><p>He quickly closed his eyes and cursed every god that existed in every religion there had ever been on the planet.  “Fuck.”</p><p>Rey looked towards the man who was aggressively waving at them.  “Do you know him?”</p><p>“Unfortunately,” Ben said, opening his eyes as the man came closer, shouting his name again.</p><p>“Yo, Solo!  You’re not even going to acknowledge me?”</p><p>Ben took a deep breath and turned towards him.  “Hux.  It’s been a long time.”</p><p>“Way too long,” Hux said, throwing his arms around Ben when he was close enough.  “How have you been, man?  Phasma told me something about a girl but I didn’t really believe her.  Yet here you are with one.”</p><p>Ben took a deep breath and pushed him away.  “Hux, this is Rey.  Rey, this is Armitage Hux.”</p><p>“What the fuck?  I never use my lame ass first name unless it’s for work,” Hux said, smiling at Rey.  “Nice to meet you.  I hope you last longer than the last one.”</p><p>Ben reached out and smacked Hux on the shoulder.  “That is no way to talk to her.”</p><p>“What?  It’s the truth,” Hux said, shaking his head.</p><p>“Is there something I can help you with, Hux, or are you just here to annoy me?” Ben asked.</p><p>“Just saying hello,” Hux said, hugging Ben again.  “I’ll leave you and the girl alone.  But we totally need to double date.  Phasma would love it.”</p><p>Ben had almost tuned Hux out until he said that.  “Wait a minute.  Phasma?”</p><p>“Yeah, she finally gave in to my amazing advances.  It’s fucking great.”</p><p>Ben shook his head.  “And here I thought Phasma was smart.”</p><p>“Fuck off,” Hux said, grinning when someone shrieked his name.  “Ah, an adoring fan.  I’ll talk to you later.  Nice to meet you, Rey.”</p><p>Hux walked away and Ben closed his eyes to try to regain the peace he’d been feeling before that while Rey followed Hux with her eyes and saw him walk up to a group of teenage girls.  “Armitage Hux?  Not that Armitage Hux.”</p><p>“You mean the one you find in the young adult section of your bookstore?” Ben said, reaching for Rey’s hand.  “Yeah, that’s him.  I can’t believe he’s some fucking famous author now.  It’s beyond stupid.  His stuff is trash.”</p><p>“What did I tell you about calling someone’s published work trash?” Rey said, and Ben shook his head.  </p><p>“I know what you said and I agree with you,” he replied, beginning to head in the opposite direction of Hux.  “But since I know him and I know the way he writes, I am perfectly happy calling his stuff trash.”</p><p>“What does that mean?” Rey asked as they walked.</p><p>“He has no plan,” Ben explained.  “He’s just making shit up as he goes.”</p><p>Rey blinked.  “That’s no way to write a book, let alone a book series.”</p><p>“Precisely.  And it’s going to ruin things in the end because this will not be able to last.  He’s completely pissing away the money too.  I guarantee you he’ll be broke in less than a year.”</p><p>Rey shook her head.  “That’s sad.”</p><p>“That’s Hux.  He burns things until he’s done with them and then he blows the wick out and moves on.  I’m terrified for Phasma now that she’s hooked up with him,” Ben said seriously.  “He’s a complete and total dick, he almost got me arrested when I was in high school because I agreed to a stupid dare, and he’s honestly nothing but trouble.  I’m one of the only friends he has, apparently, and I wish I wasn’t his friend at all.  I try to avoid him as much as I can.  But since he’s with Phasma now, that means that I’m going to have to see him more, and that’s just going to annoy the fuck out of me.”</p><p>Rey laughed.  “I understand having completely annoying friends.  Wait until you meet Kaydel and Beaumont.”</p><p>“Kaydel and Beaumont?”</p><p>“They’re my roommates,” Rey said.  “And I really wish they weren’t.  You’ll have to meet them to really understand.”</p><p>“And when exactly am I going to be meeting them?” Ben asked.</p><p>“When you pick me up for dinner tonight,” Rey said, smiling at him.  “God, I wish that I could just escape that apartment for even a night, but after they meet you tonight, they’ll be waiting all night for me to come home so they can get all the details about you and our date.”</p><p>“Then don’t go home,” was out of Ben’s mouth before he could even think about it.  “Stay at my place.”</p><p>He winced when he realized what he’d said, but before he could start apologizing, Rey squeezed his hand and grinned.  “You know what, Ben?  That sounds great.”</p><p>“Really?” he asked in amazement.  “It’s not too soon?”</p><p>“Not for me,” Rey said.  </p><p>Ben took a deep breath.  “Then you can stay the night tonight if you want to.”</p><p>“I want to,” Rey said, smiling at him.  “Now, where are we going to go for dinner?  Let’s not go to Parnassos in case Hux is there with Phasma.  Maybe that diner Jakku?  I love that place.”</p><p>“I’ve never even heard of it,” Ben said.  “So I think it’s perfect.”</p><p>“Excellent.  You’ll love it.  Now let’s go find a bench where we can look at the trees for a while.  They’re so pretty when they’re all turned like they are now.”</p><p>Ben nodded and started looking for an empty bench, but his head was spinning.  Rey was going to spend the night.  </p><p>They’d had dinner three times.</p><p>But they’d also had lunch five times and breakfast once.  Ben had been late to work seven times because he stopped at the bookstore to say hello in the mornings of days when they couldn’t go on a date.  They texted each other all the time and talked on the phone at night if they weren’t together.  </p><p>But they’d only had dinner three times and now Rey was going to spend the night at his house.</p><p>Ben blinked when he realized his grandmother’s words about relationships were rubbing off on him.  She still lived in the world of the 1950s where things were innocent and simple and the thought of her spending the night with his grandfather before their wedding night was scandalous.  </p><p>But it was 2017 and Ben didn’t have to live that way.</p><p>Rey was going to spend the night.  Things might happen or they might not, but no matter what, things were going to go well.  The fact that Rey wanted to spend the night was a really good sign, and it just cemented a thought in Ben’s mind.  He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that when he inevitably fucked things up, losing Rey was going to destroy him.  </p><p>He really didn’t want to lose Rey.</p><p>They’d only had dinner three times.</p>
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